Summer 2013 To-Do

It’s summertime and the living sure is easy. While I may be quite busy on the work side of life, on the social side I’ve really be cooling off. I’ve been spending a little more time at home and getting in a lot of cuddle time with my new kitten Simcoe. While I have some important social events coming up on the calendar, I think this is going to be a trend for me this summer. There’s only so much Netflix one can watch before getting stir-crazy, so what else will I be doing?

Working on my green thumb. My new house has a tiny little patio and yard perfect for a garden. With a little – okay, a lot – of help from my Dad, the backyard currently has two tomato plants, a pepper plant and some really awesome flowers. This summer, I’m going to keep the plants alive and reap what I’ve sowed. I’m notorious for killing even the most basic houseplants so this will definitely be a challenge. I’m excited to grab that first tomato off of the vine and make some yummy BLTs and salsa!

Finding my inner Rachel Ray. I write about beer pairings and simple recipes quite frequently but find myself getting into food ruts almost too easily. This summer I want to tap into my inner chef and start experimenting in the kitchen. I’m currently obsessed with anything and everything avocado, but I need to think beyond that. I’m going to start reading more food blogs, watching the Food Network, and chatting it up with others who love to cook. Hope everyone is hungry!

Reading more. My friend Amanda loaned me a book about a month ago and it has been sitting on the counter collecting dust since the day I brought it home. This summer I will read that book if it’s the last thing I do. In fact, I want to load up my Nexus tablet with lots of great e-books and soak up some sun while reading. I might just even crack open a beer to go with it. I need to spend less time in front of the television and more time exercising my mind. Speaking of exercise …

I want to become more active. You read correctly. I’ve been working from home for the past few months and with that comes a lot of time sitting on the couch with my laptop. This, unfortunately, has made me incredibly lazy. This summer I’m going to make a concerted effort to be more active, in fact I’ve already started by walking to as many places as I can, and I’m even considering getting a bicycle. Now that I live in Midtown I have no excuse not to take a stroll along Front Street and break up my day at home. I might even take a fitness class or go hiking – I’m open to anything! What better time than now to get my carpe diem on and create a better lifestyle.